Today's Focus Scripture: 1 Peter 4:3:11
3 For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries.
4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;
5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6 For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.
8 Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
9 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11 Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
English Definition - MANIFOLD
Adjective
Many and various: "the implications were manifold"; "the manifold divisions that have wrought such damage".
Noun
A pipe or chamber branching into several openings: "the pipeline manifold".
Synonyms
various - multifarious - diverse - multiple - varied
GREEK - Strong's G4164
ποικίλος
poikilos
poy-kee'-los
Of uncertain derivation; motley, that is, various in character: - divers, manifold.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Vast And Unserchable Riches - More Than We Need - El Shaddai
Today's Focus Scripture: Ephesians 3:2-11
Prayer requests for new Army Recruit - Jose - recently became a believer in Christ and is leaving in 6 weeks for Basic Training.
Ephesians 3:2-11
2 if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.
4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,
7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
9 and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;
10 so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places.
11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord,
We pondered the Greek words for the following terms and these are listed for your edification and encouragement:
1. Unsearchable Riches - verse 8
2. Principalities and the Powers - verse 10
3. Purpose - verse 11
Unsearchable (unfathomable) - Greek (Strong's G421) - anexichniastos - 1) that cannot be searched out, that cannot be comprehended; (by implication) untraceable: - past finding out
Riches - Greek (Strong's G4149) - ploutos - 1) riches, wealth; a) abundance of external possessions; b) fulness, abundance, plenitude; c) a good i.e. that with which one is enriched
Principalities - Greek (Strong's G746) - archē - 1) beginning, origin; 2) the person or thing that commences, the first person or thing in a series, the leader; 3) that by which anything begins to be, the origin, the active cause; 4) the extremity of a thing; 5) the first place, principality, rule, magistracy
Powers - Greek - exousia - (Strong's G1849) - 1) the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege); 2) the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed) [universally - authority over mankind]; 3) (objectively) mastery (concretely magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: - authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.
Purpose - Greek (Stong's G4286) - prothesis - 1) a setting forth of a thing, placing of it in view; specifically the shewbread (in the Temple) as exposed before God: - purpose, shew [-bread].
(Shewbread - ** twelve loaves of wheaten bread, corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel {12}, which loaves were offered to God every Sabbath, and separated into two rows, lay for seven days upon a table placed in the sanctuary or front portion of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the temple)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Nourishment To The Soul And Spirit - The Word Of God
Today's Focus Scripture - 1 Peter 2:2-9 (Based on Jack Hayford's devotional)
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”
8 and,
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Jack Hayford's Devotional
Nourishment
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2
The Word of God has been given to us as the most basic requirement of our spiritual growth. Regular reading and consistent study are to us as milk is to an infant, providing us with nourishment for growth, liquid to quench our thirst, and antibodies to help us fight the disease of sin. Other Scriptures emphasize the importance of the Word as our principal source of spiritual nourishment. Job 23:12 encourages us to prioritize the Word over all other distractions—even our most basic physical needs. We are admonished to consume more of the Word as we grow, just like a child whose need for food increases as he grows (Hebrews 5:12–14). And like an elated child who sees dinner being put on the table, Jeremiah exults that the Word was his source of joy (Jeremiah 15:16). As we open our Bibles today, we don’t need to be bashful! Let us eat until we are full! He has the banquet all prepared.
Scriptures from the devotional:
Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
Hebrews 5:12-14
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts
2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 For this is contained in Scripture:
“Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
This became the very corner stone,”
8 and,
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”;
for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Jack Hayford's Devotional
Nourishment
As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. 1 Peter 2:2
The Word of God has been given to us as the most basic requirement of our spiritual growth. Regular reading and consistent study are to us as milk is to an infant, providing us with nourishment for growth, liquid to quench our thirst, and antibodies to help us fight the disease of sin. Other Scriptures emphasize the importance of the Word as our principal source of spiritual nourishment. Job 23:12 encourages us to prioritize the Word over all other distractions—even our most basic physical needs. We are admonished to consume more of the Word as we grow, just like a child whose need for food increases as he grows (Hebrews 5:12–14). And like an elated child who sees dinner being put on the table, Jeremiah exults that the Word was his source of joy (Jeremiah 15:16). As we open our Bibles today, we don’t need to be bashful! Let us eat until we are full! He has the banquet all prepared.
Scriptures from the devotional:
Job 23:12 “I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.
Hebrews 5:12-14
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Jeremiah 15:16
Your words were found and I ate them, And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts
Thursday, January 24, 2013
There Is No Time Like The Present - Pray, Communicate, Build
Today's Focus Scriptures are from a couple of devotionals - "God's Daily Word," and "Pocket Devotions."
Romans 1:8 ~ "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ ..."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ "... pray without ceasing."
Psalm 5:3 ~ "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Clear Line of Communication (God's Daily Word)
Communication is a key part of any relationship. Without proper communication, a relationship will slowly drift apart and feel isolated. This is true of friends and married couples, and certainly true in our relationship with God.
Without communication, we begin to drift and will soon be unable to even recognize His voice. When faced with sudden burdens we will feel alone. We may awkwardly call out to God but find our communication line has become noisy, filled with distractions. It's difficult to receive direction or comfort when we can't even hear or understand what God is saying.
To keep the communication lines clear, we must develop the habit of continually talking with God; "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We cannot limit prayer to those times of great need. David was in the habit of morning prayer; "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my request before You and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). But we must also learn to talk with God throughout our day so we are prepared for those times of extra need.
Jesus never suffered from a breakdown in communication with His Father; "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). And yet, when faced with major decisions or burdens, Jesus still set aside special time to talk with God.
Luke 6:12-13
"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles."
There are always going to be times in our Christian walk when we urgently need dedicated time with God - times which involve "critical" or "crisis" situations. These times are greatly enhanced if we have already been walking in daily communion with the Father. Our "crisis" prayers will need to be more intense and require us to intimately know the One to whom we pray; require us to know His voice and understand His ultimate plan for our life; require a relationship!
Our Heavenly Father desires to light our path by giving daily guidance. Let's develop the habit of continual prayer so we will follow His leading and walk each step in praise. Let's KNOW Him during the trivial and mundane portion of our day so we will be prepared to know Him during the urgent. Let's prioritize our life to ensure we have a free and clear line of communication.
***********************************************************************************************************
Christianity: The Religion of the Possessive Pronoun (The Pocket Testament League - "Pocket Testament")
Romans 1:8a
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ...
Thoughts for Today:
"I thank my God," Paul says. Thomas said upon touching the wounds of Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Martin Luther once said, "Christianity is uniquely the religion of the possessive pronoun." In other words, you can be a Buddhist without knowing Buddha; you can be a Hare Krishna without knowing Krishna; but you can't be a Christian unless you know Jesus. Christianity is unique because it is not a religion -- it is a relationship.
Marriage is a great example of this concept. [Spouses] do not live under a set of rules which someone else created for [them] to follow. For example, what time to have dinner, who is to make dinner, clean the house, do yard work, or anything else. [Spouses] have freedom in [their] marriage because it is a relationship between [them] as individuals -- governed by love -- not laws or regulations created by others [or by some religion].
Many people misunderstand Christianity when they place it in the category of a religion. I have had people say to me, "Oh that's right, you don't do ______________ because it's against your religion." It's sometimes hard for people to understand that my choice to not do something is not because it violates a religious rule -- rather I might consider it to be disrespectful or harmful in my relationship with Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
How has your relationship been lately? And I'm not talking about your spouse or friends. Relationships are built because of time spent together sharing, learning, and in fellowship. How much time are you spending with the Lord? He always has time for you; will you make time for Him? Is Christianity just your religion or is your relationship with Jesus growing stronger and deeper?
Romans 1:8 ~ "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ ..."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ "... pray without ceasing."
Psalm 5:3 ~ "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Clear Line of Communication (God's Daily Word)
Communication is a key part of any relationship. Without proper communication, a relationship will slowly drift apart and feel isolated. This is true of friends and married couples, and certainly true in our relationship with God.
Without communication, we begin to drift and will soon be unable to even recognize His voice. When faced with sudden burdens we will feel alone. We may awkwardly call out to God but find our communication line has become noisy, filled with distractions. It's difficult to receive direction or comfort when we can't even hear or understand what God is saying.
To keep the communication lines clear, we must develop the habit of continually talking with God; "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We cannot limit prayer to those times of great need. David was in the habit of morning prayer; "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my request before You and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). But we must also learn to talk with God throughout our day so we are prepared for those times of extra need.
Jesus never suffered from a breakdown in communication with His Father; "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). And yet, when faced with major decisions or burdens, Jesus still set aside special time to talk with God.
Luke 6:12-13
"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles."
There are always going to be times in our Christian walk when we urgently need dedicated time with God - times which involve "critical" or "crisis" situations. These times are greatly enhanced if we have already been walking in daily communion with the Father. Our "crisis" prayers will need to be more intense and require us to intimately know the One to whom we pray; require us to know His voice and understand His ultimate plan for our life; require a relationship!
Our Heavenly Father desires to light our path by giving daily guidance. Let's develop the habit of continual prayer so we will follow His leading and walk each step in praise. Let's KNOW Him during the trivial and mundane portion of our day so we will be prepared to know Him during the urgent. Let's prioritize our life to ensure we have a free and clear line of communication.
***********************************************************************************************************
Christianity: The Religion of the Possessive Pronoun (The Pocket Testament League - "Pocket Testament")
Romans 1:8a
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ...
Thoughts for Today:
"I thank my God," Paul says. Thomas said upon touching the wounds of Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Martin Luther once said, "Christianity is uniquely the religion of the possessive pronoun." In other words, you can be a Buddhist without knowing Buddha; you can be a Hare Krishna without knowing Krishna; but you can't be a Christian unless you know Jesus. Christianity is unique because it is not a religion -- it is a relationship.
Marriage is a great example of this concept. [Spouses] do not live under a set of rules which someone else created for [them] to follow. For example, what time to have dinner, who is to make dinner, clean the house, do yard work, or anything else. [Spouses] have freedom in [their] marriage because it is a relationship between [them] as individuals -- governed by love -- not laws or regulations created by others [or by some religion].
Many people misunderstand Christianity when they place it in the category of a religion. I have had people say to me, "Oh that's right, you don't do ______________ because it's against your religion." It's sometimes hard for people to understand that my choice to not do something is not because it violates a religious rule -- rather I might consider it to be disrespectful or harmful in my relationship with Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
How has your relationship been lately? And I'm not talking about your spouse or friends. Relationships are built because of time spent together sharing, learning, and in fellowship. How much time are you spending with the Lord? He always has time for you; will you make time for Him? Is Christianity just your religion or is your relationship with Jesus growing stronger and deeper?
Friday, January 18, 2013
Holidays and emergencies - but the Blog will be back on track
I apologize for not updating the blog as the Life Chat calls have been occurring. I will be catching up, beginning with the most recent and working my way back to Dec 21, which was the last Blog entry.
Peace my brothers -
I am adding this devotional today from Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost For His Highest." And oddly enough, today's devotional is speaking on just that, "Our Utmost for our Father."
Jan 18 - 2013
Peace my brothers -
I am adding this devotional today from Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost For His Highest." And oddly enough, today's devotional is speaking on just that, "Our Utmost for our Father."
Jan 18 - 2013
Jesus said to her, ’Give Me a drink’ ” (John 4:7). How many of us are expecting Jesus Christ to quench our thirst when we should be satisfying Him! We should be pouring out our lives, investing our total beings, not drawing on Him to satisfy us. “You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). That means lives of pure, uncompromising, and unrestrained devotion to the Lord Jesus, which will be satisfying to Him wherever He may send us.
Beware of anything that competes with your loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of true devotion to Jesus is the service we do for Him. It is easier to serve than to pour out our lives completely for Him. The goal of the call of God is His satisfaction, not simply that we should do something for Him. We are not sent to do battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles. Are we more devoted to service than we are to Jesus Christ Himself?
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Communication - Relationship - With our Heavenly Father
Sunday - January 13, 2013 - Pastor Ben shared in the sermon about Core Values and prayer, and how this value, Prayer, leads to solid communication and relationship with our Lord.
This link (and it is also in the Links on the right-hand side of this blog) is to the video and audio sermons from Grace. From this link, or webpage, you can listen to Audio or view the Video of sermons. They are not always 100% up to date, but usually only by one or two weeks behind.
Grace Community Church - Audio/Video sermons <<<< CLICK HERE
This link (and it is also in the Links on the right-hand side of this blog) is to the video and audio sermons from Grace. From this link, or webpage, you can listen to Audio or view the Video of sermons. They are not always 100% up to date, but usually only by one or two weeks behind.
Grace Community Church - Audio/Video sermons <<<< CLICK HERE
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